Promising miler Super Strike (NZ) (Super Easy) has another week to go on his summer holiday before trainer Richard Collett gets serious about a two-race campaign in the autumn that will culminate in a bid to win the Gr.2 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie.
Collett wasn’t tempted to make a return visit to Trentham this weekend to tackle the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) after his four-year-old son of Super Easy scored impressively in the traditional lead up to the Thorndon, the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at the venue a fortnight ago.
“I haven’t even had a look at the field for the Thorndon, so that probably tells you how much interest I had in starting him (Super Strike) in it,” Collett said.
“He’s been in the paddock since he travelled home from Trentham and he has been thriving. He will have another week there and then we will start his build-up to the Easter.
“He will have one run before the Easter, probably at Te Aroha and that will be it for the time being.”
The Collett stable will still have representation at Trentham on Saturday with stablemates No Filter (NZ) (Toronado) (3YO, 1200m) and Fluorobus (Helmet) (rating 74, 2100m) both set to compete at the meeting.
“No Filter has had one run back at Ellerslie earlier this month and presented quite fresh that day,” Collett said.
“He travelled a bit keen that day but has pulled up well and will be better for the run.
“He’s drawn well on Saturday, but I would expect him to get back a little and have the length of the straight to do the job.
“As the field presents, I think he is a top three chance, but the filly De La Terre looks well weighted given her record.
“Fluorobus hasn’t drawn well but is just so honest and has never run out of the money over ground.
“He warrants the opportunity to have a go at a race like this.”
Collett was on hand on the first day of the Book 2 session at Karaka on Wednesday, having picked up a Preferment colt (a half-brother to No Filter), Lot 380 from the Book 1 catalogue of the National Yearling sale that concluded on Tuesday evening.
“We bought a Preferment colt from Brighthill Farm for $75,000 and I also had a client buy another horse too,” he said.
“I thought it was a great sale for the sellers and very hard to buy at any level over the three days.
“We’re pretty keen on quite few in Book 2, so we are going to have a go and see how we get on.”
